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Managed to get in the middle of it after lunch last Friday. Sitting in the car finishing up some correspondence on the thumb devil one minute, breaking up a fight outside that badguy social club next to the Chip Shop on Fifth Avenue the next.
Press send on a text and through the rear view mirror I’ve got one middle-aged man pounding, stiff as a statue, on a morbidly obese member planted on a chair outside the club. His assailant is screaming curses in time with the blows he’s landing and Fatty has his arms up protecting his face, but he’s getting the worst of it. I drop out of our Luxury German Automobile like a cross teacher on the playground. As I’m marching round the back bumper towards these graceless gladiators it becomes clear that the assailant isn’t entirely talentless, but he is drunk as a Lord.
Game changer. As I close on the melee Fatty launches off his chair fist first, connecting with Drunky’s nose. A testament to Newton’s Second Law, Fatty has no swing, just locked shoulder, elbow and wrist. And even with its paltry acceleration, when Fatty’s doughy fist makes contact with Drunky’s nose it’s all about the multiplier of Fatty’s enormous mass. The nose splatters, flattening instantly against Drunky’s face. Fatty doesn’t hang around to celebrate, rather continues, his arch uninterrupted, on his course, landing, a modest hillock, in the middle of the sidewalk. Too blasted to realize that his profile has been irrevocably altered, Drunky begins kicking Fatty who tries vainly to roll over on his back.

Fat Johnny flattens Drunky's nose as he falls to the floor... inert

I am joined in my peace-making efforts by a pair of ruffians drawn out from the interior of the club by Drunky’s unceasing invective.
The club, a VFW Hall in name only, is a Known Location, so as you’d expect, the new arrivals aren’t the least bit concerned about the condition of the screaming drunk with the destroyed face. They are looking out for their own. A deeply-muscled thug pulls up in a tow truck, leaps into the street and chases Drunky through traffic off across the street where, face streaming blood, he stands defiant, if weaving unsteadily, and begins taunting Fatty. “Bury me? Bury me? You’ll bury me?”
Outnumbered now, Drunky appears satisfied to stand his ground, shouting from a safe distance. Tow Truck joins the three of us and together we haul Fatty–cold to the touch and completely disoriented, likely in the throws of massive heart attack–back into his chair. Tow Truck and the two ruffians are joined by an amigo (“Johnny? You okay, Johnny?”) and all four implore Johnny… “Fat” Johnny… to stay put in the chair. Fat Johnny just stares out on the scene like he is a million miles away.
Once satisfied that Fat Johnny is okay (which he absolutely is not), the ruffians pat him on the back, bid Fat Johnny take it easy and lope off in different directions away from the club.
Unattended, Fat Johnny immediately heaves himself out of his chair and back into the fray. Before he can take a single step he falls flat on his face, lets out a low moan, and lies stone still. I’m closest, so I’m first to try to grab him up. Joined by Tow Truck and yet another denizen of the VFW we drag the inert Fat Johnny back into his chair. “Maybe he should drink some water?” I suggest, certain he is dead.
“Yeah, water. Here Johnny, some water. Johnny, over here. Drink water. You okay.”
“Don’t move Johnny. Drink water,” says tow truck looking up and down the avenue. Drunky, still unaware he has no nose, is leaning heavily on a mailbox, berating Fat Johnny.”
“Okay,” says Tow Truck. “We’re good. Stay here Johnny. Drink water.” Johnny has touched a drop. That’s the best part, every new bad guy who swoops in to help is trying desperately to move on as soon as he arrives. Nobody wants to be around if the cops show up. I keep my eye on Tow Truck. He’s the smart one, a man of action, too. Tow Truck keeps his eye on me. We’re both wondering what I’m still doing on the scene.

Combat King's tow truck

When we aren’t sizing each other up, scrupulously avoiding eye contact, Tow Truck is scanning for the avenue for official response. My gaze follows his. Drunky could have friends too. That would be bad.
Fat Johnny either falls asleep or dies.
It’s time to go.
Tow Truck hops into his ride and guns the huge engine, I’m back in the Luxury German Automobile, and the remaining ruffians vanish around corners and disappear into storefronts. It’s over. The only guys left on the block are Fat Johnny and Drunky.

Blogroll

rescue your soggy iPhone
I fill a ziplock with basmati; for good measure, add a cup of premium sushi (somehow short grain seems more absorbent). I pack the ziplock in my checked suitcase and fly off to France.

blogs and sites worth checking out

Manny Howard on The Colbert Report
in which Manny Howard, ably aided (guided really) by Stephen Colbert (and the good people at The Colbert Reprt) attempt to sell many copies of “My Empire of Dirt”

opinionbrooklyn
Robey Newsom started opinionbrooklyn because “Brad said I should start writing a blog but that I wouldn’t. He also called me smart and opinionated. He’s only half right. I’m sure there have been stupider reasons for starting a blog but probably not many.

rescue your soggy iPhone
I fill a ziplock with basmati; for good measure, add a cup of premium sushi (somehow short grain seems more absorbent). I pack the ziplock in my checked suitcase and fly off to France.

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

clips

“I’d Probably Slug Jesus”
This American Life: (Manny Howard talks with Paul Tough about why he loved fighting, in bars, on the street, and about how hard it is to quit.), This American Life, March 27, 1998

“Why We Split”
New York Times Magazine special issue on money (My wife and I shared a single savings account, and I blew through every nickel of it. The end was quick and clean), New York Times Magazine, October 15, 2000

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

commentary

cofactors blog, CatalystGroup
CoFactors, the research + development crucible for Catalyst Group Design. using their exceptionally broad view of the Web, this band of happy geniuses expand and codify their observations and experience, addressing design issues + culture.

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

opinionbrooklyn
Robey Newsom started opinionbrooklyn because “Brad said I should start writing a blog but that I wouldn’t. He also called me smart and opinionated. He’s only half right. I’m sure there have been stupider reasons for starting a blog but probably not many.

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

fishing

Bass: The Movie
This is the first comprehensive look behind the scenes of Bass: The Movie. The movie pits a conventional angler and a fly rod angler against one another in a Bass Eden. Who would win? Well, as it turned out, it evolved into a surprising team that left the

LSD Research

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

NPR "All Things Considered" Margot Adler visits The Farm
A lot of people talk about eating locally, but Manny Howard went further. He created a farm in his 20- by 40-foot Brooklyn backyard — with rabbits, chickens, and a host of vegetables — and was determined to spend a month eating only from his land.

“Why We Split”
New York Times Magazine special issue on money (My wife and I shared a single savings account, and I blew through every nickel of it. The end was quick and clean), New York Times Magazine, October 15, 2000

Manny's Radio Interviews

“I’d Probably Slug Jesus”
This American Life: (Manny Howard talks with Paul Tough about why he loved fighting, in bars, on the street, and about how hard it is to quit.), This American Life, March 27, 1998

MEoD on the Kojo Nnamdi Show
For some enthusiasts, backyard birds are an environmentally-sound way to create fertilizer, get rid of kitchen scraps, and provide fresh eggs. Others say urban chickens take the “locavore” movement too far, creating a neighborhood nuisance. We explore the

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

NPR "All Things Considered" Margot Adler visits The Farm
A lot of people talk about eating locally, but Manny Howard went further. He created a farm in his 20- by 40-foot Brooklyn backyard — with rabbits, chickens, and a host of vegetables — and was determined to spend a month eating only from his land.

Manny Howard on The Colbert Report
in which Manny Howard, ably aided (guided really) by Stephen Colbert (and the good people at The Colbert Reprt) attempt to sell many copies of “My Empire of Dirt”

MEoD on the Kojo Nnamdi Show
For some enthusiasts, backyard birds are an environmentally-sound way to create fertilizer, get rid of kitchen scraps, and provide fresh eggs. Others say urban chickens take the “locavore” movement too far, creating a neighborhood nuisance. We explore the

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

opinionbrooklyn
Robey Newsom started opinionbrooklyn because “Brad said I should start writing a blog but that I wouldn’t. He also called me smart and opinionated. He’s only half right. I’m sure there have been stupider reasons for starting a blog but probably not many.

Manny Howard on The Colbert Report
in which Manny Howard, ably aided (guided really) by Stephen Colbert (and the good people at The Colbert Reprt) attempt to sell many copies of “My Empire of Dirt”

MEoD on the Kojo Nnamdi Show
For some enthusiasts, backyard birds are an environmentally-sound way to create fertilizer, get rid of kitchen scraps, and provide fresh eggs. Others say urban chickens take the “locavore” movement too far, creating a neighborhood nuisance. We explore the

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

NPR "All Things Considered" Margot Adler visits The Farm
A lot of people talk about eating locally, but Manny Howard went further. He created a farm in his 20- by 40-foot Brooklyn backyard — with rabbits, chickens, and a host of vegetables — and was determined to spend a month eating only from his land.

rescue your soggy iPhone
I fill a ziplock with basmati; for good measure, add a cup of premium sushi (somehow short grain seems more absorbent). I pack the ziplock in my checked suitcase and fly off to France.

radio

“I’d Probably Slug Jesus”
This American Life: (Manny Howard talks with Paul Tough about why he loved fighting, in bars, on the street, and about how hard it is to quit.), This American Life, March 27, 1998

Recommended

“Why We Split”
New York Times Magazine special issue on money (My wife and I shared a single savings account, and I blew through every nickel of it. The end was quick and clean), New York Times Magazine, October 15, 2000

Bass: The Movie
This is the first comprehensive look behind the scenes of Bass: The Movie. The movie pits a conventional angler and a fly rod angler against one another in a Bass Eden. Who would win? Well, as it turned out, it evolved into a surprising team that left the

cofactors blog, CatalystGroup
CoFactors, the research + development crucible for Catalyst Group Design. using their exceptionally broad view of the Web, this band of happy geniuses expand and codify their observations and experience, addressing design issues + culture.

Effect Measure
Effect Measure is a forum for progressive public health discussion and argument as well as a source of public health information from around the web that interests the editors of scienceblogs.com

MEoD on the Kojo Nnamdi Show
For some enthusiasts, backyard birds are an environmentally-sound way to create fertilizer, get rid of kitchen scraps, and provide fresh eggs. Others say urban chickens take the “locavore” movement too far, creating a neighborhood nuisance. We explore the

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

rescue your soggy iPhone
I fill a ziplock with basmati; for good measure, add a cup of premium sushi (somehow short grain seems more absorbent). I pack the ziplock in my checked suitcase and fly off to France.

the complex economics of urban chicken farming
As a backyard chicken trend sweeps the country, hatcheries that supply baby chicks say they can barely keep up with demand. Do-it-yourself coops have popped up in places as disparate as Brooklyn, suburban Chicago and the rural West.

The Sandbox (Slate)
The Sandbox is Slate’s command-wide milblog, featuring comments, anecdotes, and observations from service members currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. This is GWOT-lit’s forward position, offering those in-country a chance to share their experience

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

Manny Howard on The Colbert Report
in which Manny Howard, ably aided (guided really) by Stephen Colbert (and the good people at The Colbert Reprt) attempt to sell many copies of “My Empire of Dirt”

NPR "All Things Considered" Margot Adler visits The Farm
A lot of people talk about eating locally, but Manny Howard went further. He created a farm in his 20- by 40-foot Brooklyn backyard — with rabbits, chickens, and a host of vegetables — and was determined to spend a month eating only from his land.

survival blog
The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times.

the complex economics of urban chicken farming
As a backyard chicken trend sweeps the country, hatcheries that supply baby chicks say they can barely keep up with demand. Do-it-yourself coops have popped up in places as disparate as Brooklyn, suburban Chicago and the rural West.

spouses

“Why We Split”
New York Times Magazine special issue on money (My wife and I shared a single savings account, and I blew through every nickel of it. The end was quick and clean), New York Times Magazine, October 15, 2000

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

Stupid Parent Trick
Yes we did take our brand new baby and 70lb dog on month long drive across the country.

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

Stuff I Love

Bass: The Movie
This is the first comprehensive look behind the scenes of Bass: The Movie. The movie pits a conventional angler and a fly rod angler against one another in a Bass Eden. Who would win? Well, as it turned out, it evolved into a surprising team that left the

rescue your soggy iPhone
I fill a ziplock with basmati; for good measure, add a cup of premium sushi (somehow short grain seems more absorbent). I pack the ziplock in my checked suitcase and fly off to France.

survival blog
The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times.

the selvedge yard
The Selvedge Yard is about all the things that interest me– a menswear product, presentation & branding guy with a passion for people, places things & ideas of enduring heritage, quality, authenticity & character. But I’m not all old scho

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

cofactors blog, CatalystGroup
CoFactors, the research + development crucible for Catalyst Group Design. using their exceptionally broad view of the Web, this band of happy geniuses expand and codify their observations and experience, addressing design issues + culture.

rescue your soggy iPhone
I fill a ziplock with basmati; for good measure, add a cup of premium sushi (somehow short grain seems more absorbent). I pack the ziplock in my checked suitcase and fly off to France.

the complex economics of urban chicken farming
As a backyard chicken trend sweeps the country, hatcheries that supply baby chicks say they can barely keep up with demand. Do-it-yourself coops have popped up in places as disparate as Brooklyn, suburban Chicago and the rural West.

the selvedge yard
The Selvedge Yard is about all the things that interest me– a menswear product, presentation & branding guy with a passion for people, places things & ideas of enduring heritage, quality, authenticity & character. But I’m not all old scho

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

The Sandbox (Slate)
The Sandbox is Slate’s command-wide milblog, featuring comments, anecdotes, and observations from service members currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. This is GWOT-lit’s forward position, offering those in-country a chance to share their experience

Manny Howard on The Colbert Report
in which Manny Howard, ably aided (guided really) by Stephen Colbert (and the good people at The Colbert Reprt) attempt to sell many copies of “My Empire of Dirt”

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

NPR "All Things Considered" Margot Adler visits The Farm
A lot of people talk about eating locally, but Manny Howard went further. He created a farm in his 20- by 40-foot Brooklyn backyard — with rabbits, chickens, and a host of vegetables — and was determined to spend a month eating only from his land.

survival blog
The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times.

the complex economics of urban chicken farming
As a backyard chicken trend sweeps the country, hatcheries that supply baby chicks say they can barely keep up with demand. Do-it-yourself coops have popped up in places as disparate as Brooklyn, suburban Chicago and the rural West.

video

Bass: The Movie
This is the first comprehensive look behind the scenes of Bass: The Movie. The movie pits a conventional angler and a fly rod angler against one another in a Bass Eden. Who would win? Well, as it turned out, it evolved into a surprising team that left the

The Mad Farmer
In the depths of his agrarian madness, Manny is interviewed on The Farm

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

video of 1950s housewife tripping on LSD
Here’s some rare footage of an experimental LSD session that Don Lattin, Author of ‘Jesus Freaks’ and ‘The Harvard Psychedelic Club’ came across doing research for THPD, a group biography of British writer Aldous Huxley, philosopher Gerald Heard, and Bil

MEoD on the Kojo Nnamdi Show
For some enthusiasts, backyard birds are an environmentally-sound way to create fertilizer, get rid of kitchen scraps, and provide fresh eggs. Others say urban chickens take the “locavore” movement too far, creating a neighborhood nuisance. We explore the

MEoD on The Main Course on Heritage Radio Network
on The Main Course, Patrick & Katy are joined by Angela Miller, Manny Howard & Ron Silver. Angela & Manny talk about their farming discoveries, and Ron discusses how Bubby’s came to be and what he thinks of local ingredients.

the complex economics of urban chicken farming
As a backyard chicken trend sweeps the country, hatcheries that supply baby chicks say they can barely keep up with demand. Do-it-yourself coops have popped up in places as disparate as Brooklyn, suburban Chicago and the rural West.